The Presidency on Sunday declared that no cabal or official in
the Presidency can hijack the powers President Muhammadu
Buhari.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on
media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President is very thorough in
carrying out the the responsibilities and duties ascribed to him by
the 1999 constitution.
He also explained that it is impossible for any official in
government to manipulate Buhari as he pays attention to all
necessary details.
“Over the past few months, some media organizations have
published a stream of allegations against some persons around the
President attributing them to “persistent rumors and speculations,”
with no other objective but to generate hatred and disgust against
these hardworking people.
“As the good Nigerian public can imagine, little time would be
left for other tasks more beneficial to the entire nation, if the
Presidency were to respond to every single fable published by the
free Nigerian press. However, in the process of advancing their
suspicious anti-Buhari agenda, whoever is behind these allegations
knowingly or unknowingly has cast some of the most ridiculous
aspersions on President Buhari’s competence as a leader of a great
country.
“To begin with, it is absolutely nonsensical and absurd to write
that in one week of the President’s return, the Vice President has
been sidelined.
“Quite to the contrary, the Vice President remains the
confidante and the closest adviser to the President,” Shehu
stated.
According to him, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has
attended all the President’s engagements in the last one week,
except two functions including the one held while the Vice
President was away in Taraba State and the Juma’at Muslim prayer
because Osinbajo is a Christian.
He said “It is difficult to understand what anyone wants to
achieve peddling such falsehood that the President, himself a
former military general and Head of State and Commander-In-Chief is
subject to undue influence and manipulation. It is both ridiculous
and inconceivable.
“As someone who works very closely with President Buhari, I can
testify to how my years of experience as a newspaper editor are
often put to the test by the sheer thoroughness with which the
President edits every single document brought to his desk. Every
memo, statement, speech, is subject to his intense scrutiny, right
down to the placement of commas and full stops.
“Therefore, alleging that President Buhari signs memos brought
to him by government officials or a so-called cabal without reading
them, immediately casts doubts on the credibility of the ubiquitous
unnamed sources that the reporters of these articles quote.,” he
added.
Stressing that the President cannot do everything, he said, it
was the main reason why he needs close and trustworthy officials,
who will be willing to offend others in the process of ensuring
Buhari’s safety and well-being, and the advancement of his vision
for Nigeria.
He pointed out that the attacks on Malam Abba Kyari, the Chief
of Staff to the President, have been leveled with such
imperiousness that they must no longer be laughed off as crazy.
He said “The COS is like the headman of all the President’s
political appointees. He has direct responsibility for multiple
levels of staff working for the President. Part of his role
includes liaising with ministries and parastatals, so that he can
have a full awareness of the issues being discussed whenever these
groups meet with the President. It goes without saying that anybody
who occupies such office has impeccable credentials of total
loyalty to the President.
“Clearly, some consider this oversight role as a usurping of the
President’s powers, and it is their misunderstanding of the
situation that some media organisations have swallowed hook, line
and sinker.
“Under this administration, as the ones before it, the office of
the Chief of Staff is a branch of the President’s office. There are
no power centers here. The only power center is that of the
President who is sensitive to grassroots level administration which
the Chief of Staff must ensure.
“For Abba kyari, there is no life after work. He is available to
the President 24/7.
“President Buhari is working day and night to steer Nigeria
through these trying times. There are important issues in the hand
of government such as poverty reduction, turning around the
economy, creating jobs, fighting corruption and terrorism, railway,
agriculture, roads, power and rural and urban development that
there simply is not enough time to be spent answering baseless
allegations in the media.
“As he builds a new foundation from the mess left behind by
previous irresponsible governments, the President cannot do it
alone. He needs the absolute loyalty of his COS, he needs the
acumen of government officials, he needs the courage and
understanding of the Nigerian people, and he needs the support of
institutions such as the media.
“Publishing poorly-researched allegations and trying to pass
them off as investigative journalism or as news may lead to more
newspaper sales or to more clicks on a website; but they will also,
in the long run, slow down the growth and development of our
country, which right now requires the absolute focus of President
Buhari and his carefully-selected team to build the Nigeria of our
dreams.
“Unfortunately, this is the path The Punch has chosen and
there’s no one to help them but themselves.
“It is appropriate at this point to dispel the false notion that
anyone has tried to undermine the Vice President when he acted in
the absence of the President.
“This, I must say with all emphasis, is utter falsehood.
“As Acting President, Vice President Osinbajo enjoyed the
support of the Villa Staff and the entire cabinet. Otherwise he
would not have succeeded and earn the praises of the President.
These are just a few among the false and illogical accusations
making the COS larger than life, with the aim of pulling him
down.
“No Chief of Staff including this one can create hurdles for a
president and survive the next day. The roles and duties don’t
warrant the kind of falsehood being spread.
“When the President was away on the medical vacation, the Chief
of Staff rallied the Presidency behind Professor Osinbajo because
he knew that his boss, President Buhari expected nothing less.
“A careful assessment of some these allegations with a rational
mind will show that there is an orchestrated campaign to smear the
COS and indirectly the President.
“If I can speculate on the matter, I will say that the problem
Malam Abba Kyari has with most people is that he, like the
President he serves, will not throw money at people in order to
please them.
“As COS, Malam has refused to keep cash imprest and has turned
down a monthly grant of N200 million customarily given to the
office. This is money freely spent because they were not required
to account for what they did with it.” he stated
He urged journalists with questions to ask concerning the
President and the Villa administration to always approach the
Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Laolu Akande
or himself.
“Where we don’t have your answers, we are ready to obtain as
much as we can, the correct responses to your enquiry,” Shehu
assured.
The Presidency on Sunday declared that no cabal or official in
the Presidency can hijack the powers President Muhammadu
Buhari.
According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on
media and publicity, Garba Shehu, the President is very thorough in
carrying out the the responsibilities and duties ascribed to him by
the 1999 constitution.
He also explained that it is impossible for any official in
government to manipulate Buhari as he pays attention to all
necessary details.
“Over the past few months, some media organizations have
published a stream of allegations against some persons around the
President attributing them to “persistent rumors and speculations,”
with no other objective but to generate hatred and disgust against
these hardworking people.
“As the good Nigerian public can imagine, little time would be
left for other tasks more beneficial to the entire nation, if the
Presidency were to respond to every single fable published by the
free Nigerian press. However, in the process of advancing their
suspicious anti-Buhari agenda, whoever is behind these allegations
knowingly or unknowingly has cast some of the most ridiculous
aspersions on President Buhari’s competence as a leader of a great
country.
“To begin with, it is absolutely nonsensical and absurd to write
that in one week of the President’s return, the Vice President has
been sidelined.
“Quite to the contrary, the Vice President remains the
confidante and the closest adviser to the President,” Shehu
stated.
According to him, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has
attended all the President’s engagements in the last one week,
except two functions including the one held while the Vice
President was away in Taraba State and the Juma’at Muslim prayer
because Osinbajo is a Christian.
He said “It is difficult to understand what anyone wants to
achieve peddling such falsehood that the President, himself a
former military general and Head of State and Commander-In-Chief is
subject to undue influence and manipulation. It is both ridiculous
and inconceivable.
“As someone who works very closely with President Buhari, I can
testify to how my years of experience as a newspaper editor are
often put to the test by the sheer thoroughness with which the
President edits every single document brought to his desk. Every
memo, statement, speech, is subject to his intense scrutiny, right
down to the placement of commas and full stops.
“Therefore, alleging that President Buhari signs memos brought
to him by government officials or a so-called cabal without reading
them, immediately casts doubts on the credibility of the ubiquitous
unnamed sources that the reporters of these articles quote.,” he
added.
Stressing that the President cannot do everything, he said, it
was the main reason why he needs close and trustworthy officials,
who will be willing to offend others in the process of ensuring
Buhari’s safety and well-being, and the advancement of his vision
for Nigeria.
He pointed out that the attacks on Malam Abba Kyari, the Chief
of Staff to the President, have been leveled with such
imperiousness that they must no longer be laughed off as crazy.
He said “The COS is like the headman of all the President’s
political appointees. He has direct responsibility for multiple
levels of staff working for the President. Part of his role
includes liaising with ministries and parastatals, so that he can
have a full awareness of the issues being discussed whenever these
groups meet with the President. It goes without saying that anybody
who occupies such office has impeccable credentials of total
loyalty to the President.
“Clearly, some consider this oversight role as a usurping of the
President’s powers, and it is their misunderstanding of the
situation that some media organisations have swallowed hook, line
and sinker.
“Under this administration, as the ones before it, the office of
the Chief of Staff is a branch of the President’s office. There are
no power centers here. The only power center is that of the
President who is sensitive to grassroots level administration which
the Chief of Staff must ensure.
“For Abba kyari, there is no life after work. He is available to
the President 24/7.
“President Buhari is working day and night to steer Nigeria
through these trying times. There are important issues in the hand
of government such as poverty reduction, turning around the
economy, creating jobs, fighting corruption and terrorism, railway,
agriculture, roads, power and rural and urban development that
there simply is not enough time to be spent answering baseless
allegations in the media.
“As he builds a new foundation from the mess left behind by
previous irresponsible governments, the President cannot do it
alone. He needs the absolute loyalty of his COS, he needs the
acumen of government officials, he needs the courage and
understanding of the Nigerian people, and he needs the support of
institutions such as the media.
“Publishing poorly-researched allegations and trying to pass
them off as investigative journalism or as news may lead to more
newspaper sales or to more clicks on a website; but they will also,
in the long run, slow down the growth and development of our
country, which right now requires the absolute focus of President
Buhari and his carefully-selected team to build the Nigeria of our
dreams.
“Unfortunately, this is the path The Punch has chosen and
there’s no one to help them but themselves.
“It is appropriate at this point to dispel the false notion that
anyone has tried to undermine the Vice President when he acted in
the absence of the President.
“This, I must say with all emphasis, is utter falsehood.
“As Acting President, Vice President Osinbajo enjoyed the
support of the Villa Staff and the entire cabinet. Otherwise he
would not have succeeded and earn the praises of the President.
These are just a few among the false and illogical accusations
making the COS larger than life, with the aim of pulling him
down.
“No Chief of Staff including this one can create hurdles for a
president and survive the next day. The roles and duties don’t
warrant the kind of falsehood being spread.
“When the President was away on the medical vacation, the Chief
of Staff rallied the Presidency behind Professor Osinbajo because
he knew that his boss, President Buhari expected nothing less.
“A careful assessment of some these allegations with a rational
mind will show that there is an orchestrated campaign to smear the
COS and indirectly the President.
“If I can speculate on the matter, I will say that the problem
Malam Abba Kyari has with most people is that he, like the
President he serves, will not throw money at people in order to
please them.
“As COS, Malam has refused to keep cash imprest and has turned
down a monthly grant of N200 million customarily given to the
office. This is money freely spent because they were not required
to account for what they did with it.” he stated
He urged journalists with questions to ask concerning the
President and the Villa administration to always approach the
Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Laolu Akande
or himself.
“Where we don’t have your answers, we are ready to obtain as
much as we can, the correct responses to your enquiry,” Shehu
assured.
Read more https://nairalaw.com/no-cabal-can-cage-buhari-says-presidency/